Maui is a very diverse island with lots of activities to enjoy and sights to see. We’ve compiled a short list of what we think are some of Maui Best Beaches and added a couple of other spots you may not have thought of to visit!
If you have visited one of the beaches we wrote about here or one of the other spots, we’d like to hear from you!
Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you and your family enjoyed most during your visit and what your favorite activity is when visiting Maui so I can share it with others!
We’ll start the list with the most popular Maui beaches on the west Maui, Lahaina side:
D.T. Fleming Beach Park: This quiet, out-of-the-way beach, located north of the Ritz-Carlton hotel is a great beach for families to enjoy with life guards, bbq areas, restrooms and grassy areas. Ironwood trees provide shade and offshore, a shallow sandbar extends out to the edge of the surf. The waters are generally good for swimming and snorkeling, but sometimes, near the sea cliffs, the waves are big enough for body boarders and surfers to enjoy.
Kapalua Bay Beach
Kapalua Beach: On an island of many great beaches, the majority opinion is this one takes the prize as the most gorgeous, but can get quite busy because of the popularity. A golden crescent of beach with swaying palms protected from strong winds and currents by two outstretched lava-rock promontories, Kapalua has crystal clear, calm waters that are perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking. Visitors are thrilled to be able to snorkel with the turtles! Facilities include showers, restrooms, and lifeguards.
Kaanapali Beach: Four-mile-long Kaanapali stands out as one of Maui’s best beaches, with grainy gold sand as far as the eye can see. Most of the beach parallels the sea channel, and a paved beach walk links hotels and condos, open-air restaurants, and the Whalers Village shopping center. Summertime swimming is excellent. The best snorkeling is around Black Rock, where the water is clear, calm, populated with brilliant tropical fish and you can swim with the turtles about 15 feet out.
Now on to Maui best beaches on the southwestern coast of Maui:
Wailea Beach: This is the best gold-sand, crescent-shaped beach on Maui’s sun-baked southwestern coast. One of five beaches within Wailea Resort, Wailea Beach is wide and protected on both sides by black-lava points. From the beach, the view out to sea is magnificent, framed by neighboring Kahoolawe and Lanai and the tiny crescent of Molokini. The crystal clear waters tumble to shore in waves just the right size for gentle riding, with or without a board. All the beaches on the west and south coasts are great for spotting whales, but Wailea, with its fairly flat sandy beach that gently slopes down to the ocean, provides exceptionally good whale-watching from shore in season (Dec-Apr).
Maluaka Beach
Maluaka Beach (Makena Beach): On the southern end of Maui’s resort coast, development falls off dramatically, leaving a wild, dry countryside punctuated by green kiawe trees. This wide, palm-fringed crescent of golden sand is set between two black-lava points and bounded by big sand dunes topped by a grassy knoll. This gorgeous beach offers great snorkeling with views of Molokini and Kahoolawe off in the distance and is within steps of the Makena Golf & Beach Resort where you can rent a stand up paddle board and enjoy their restaurants.
Maui best beaches on the east side – Hana beaches:
Wai’anapanapa State Park: In east Maui, you’ll find this State Park on the Hana Highway past mile marker 32 just before Hana. The 120 acres of this state park offer 12 cabins, a caretaker’s residence, a picnic area, a shoreline hiking trail, and, best of all, the black-sand beach which is a little coarse, because it’s actually small black pebbles. Swimming is generally unsafe, though, due to strong waves and rip currents. But it’s a great spot for picnicking, hiking along the shore, and simply sitting and relaxing. There is no admission fee and parking is free.
Hamoa Beach: Many have said Hamoa Beach is what makes the drive to Hana worth it and use words like “stunning” to describe it! A favorite among sunbathers, snorkelers, and body surfers, visitors to Hana find this half-moon-shaped, salt and pepper gray-sand beach (a mix of coral and lava) feels like powder. The 100-foot-wide beach is about 900 feet long and sits below 30-foot, black-lava sea cliffs with easy access, crystal clear water and it’s not crowded! The surf breaks offshore and rolls in, making this a popular surfing and bodysurfing area. However, Hamoa is an unprotected beach open to the ocean and is often swept by powerful rip currents. Swimmers should be advised that the currents can get very strong and the beach breaks can get very rough. The calm left side is best for snorkeling in the summer.
For some unusual and different Maui experiences, try visiting one of these locations on west Maui:
Olivine Pools: Located just a few miles north of Kaanapali off Hwy. 340, you’ll find this spot off the beaten path (with no lifeguards). It is a steep and rocky hike over lava rock (do not wear flip flops) but well worth the challenges to get there! A rock barrier separates the ocean from the pool, but at high tide the waves may crash over the barrier. The outstanding thing about this nature made pool is the variety of sea life! You’ll have the chance to see colorful fish and sea creatures that have been swept into the pool by the ocean giving you the opportunity to view tropical fish up close – as if in your own personal sea aquarium!
Dragon’s Teeth
Dragon’s Teeth: Makalua-puna Point, Kapalua is located in West Maui. Makalua-puna Point was created from one of the last lava flows on Maui. However, the lava here is a little different from the rest of the lava on Maui – it is much lighter, denser, and fine-grained. The wind sweeping over the point caused the lava to harden in an upward fashion. The jagged points of this formation look like dragon’s teeth, thus the name. Hundreds of years of salt spray has whitened the lava and even eroded holes through some areas. Going north on Highway 30, turn left on Office Road just past Mile Marker #30. Parking is located on the right where the Office Road meets Lower Honoapiilani Road with some limited free ocean parking next to the golf course. It is near the Ritz Carlton hotel and a short 10 minute walk past the golf course.
Nakalele Blow Hole: The drive from Kapalua, around Nakalele Point and on to Wailuku in one word is “extraordinary”. Nakalele Blowhole is the result of the ocean wearing away the shore below the lava shelf. With each wave, water is forced through a hole in the lava shelf resulting in the “eruption” of water similar to a geyser. The “blowing” of the water varies dramatically depending on tide levels and wave action. High tide and strong surf result in the best effects. The blowhole can be seen from the road travelling north from Kapalua on Hwy 30 (when the wave action is right) by using the dirt pullout just past mile marker #38 or you can do the 30 minute hike down to the area – just be careful and don’t get too close!
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